Captain John Stuart Pettinger DCM (born 1953) is a former officer of the Parachute Regiment in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

and a veteran of the

Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...

during which he was awarded the

Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military ...

(DCM) for bravery. This was a field award for

other ranks Other ranks (ORs) in the Royal Marines (RM), the British Army, and the Royal Air Force (RAF), along with the navies, armies, and air forces of many other Commonwealth countries and Ireland, are those personnel who are not commissioned officers, bu ...

of the British Army and was the oldest British award for gallantry, at that time ranking second only to the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

. His DCM was one of only eight awarded during the conflict, five of which were awarded to the Parachute Regiment. Pettinger was invested with his

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

in 1982.

Early career

Pettinger was born in

Clitheroe Clitheroe () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for to ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

in 1953, the son of Nora ''née'' Hodkinson (1924-2002) and Jack Pettinger (1921-1989). He joined the

in September 1968 at 15 years old as a junior soldier of the Parachute Regiment. He served for two years with the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion at

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the England–Wales border, Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5 road (Great Britain), A5, A483 road, A483 and A495 road, A495 ro ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

after which he successfully completed ' P Company', the stringent 'Pre-Parachute Selection' courses for Parachute Regiment recruits. Pettinger was posted to the

3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment The 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 PARA), is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and is a subordinate unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade. Roled as an Airborne light infantry unit, the battalion is capable ...

in early 1971.Lot 25: The important Falklands War D.C.M. group of six awarded to Sergeant, later Captain, J. S. Pettinger, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
Noonans Auctioneers In 1972 Pettinger was posted to D (Patrol) Company, 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment with whom he made tours of

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

and

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

before being promoted to Corporal instructing recruits at Depot Para at Browning Barracks in

Aldershot Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

during 1976–78. In 1975 in

Hyndburn Hyndburn is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington, the largest town, and the borough also covers the outlying ...

he married Yvonne J. Garwood. The marriage was later dissolved. In 1981 he returned to D (Patrol) Company as a Sergeant.Falklands War: 'Iconic' Medals Fetch £130,000 At Auction
Forces Net website, 17 September 2020

South Atlantic

Distinguished Conduct Medal - Elizabeth II

On 9 April 1982 Pettinger, with the rest of the 2nd Battalion and 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment sailed from

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

on SS ''Canberra'', a cruise liner which had been requisitioned as a

troopship A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable to land troops directly on shore, typic ...

. Pettinger served as Patrol Commander of D (Patrol) Company during 11 days of operations in and around the

Mount Longdon Mount Longdon is a hill located in the east of East Falkland island forming part of the Falkland Islands Archipelago. It has an elevation of 186 metres (610 ft) above sea level. It is the highest land in any direction for 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) ...

area on East Falkland. Pettinger's D Company, under cover of darkness, acted as the "eyes and ears" of

3 Para The 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 PARA), is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom), Parachute Regiment and is a subordinate unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade. Roled as an Airborne forces, Ai ...

, carrying out six close target reconnaissances of enemy defensive positions in order to identify Argentine machine gun and mortar positions, and entered enemy trenches undetected. Pettinger after guided the men of B Company, 3 Para in the 12-hour

Battle of Mount Longdon The Battle of Mount Longdon was fought between the British 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment and elements of the Argentine 7th Infantry Regiment on 11–12 June 1982, towards the end of the Falklands War. It was one of three engagements in a B ...

and killed three Argentinian soldiers. For his gallant conduct prior to and during the Battle of Mount Longdon, Pettinger is mentioned in various books about the South Atlantic campaign, including: ''Green-Eyed Boys, 3 Para and the Battle for Mount Longdon'' by Christian Jennings and Adrian Weale; ''Excursion To Hell, Mount Longdon, A Universal Story of Battle'' by Lance Corporal V. Bramley; ''3 Days in June: 3 Para's Battle for Mount Longdon'', by Private James O’Conell, and ''3 Para - Mount Longdon: The Bloodiest Battle'' by Jon Cooksy, in which Pettinger is quoted and mentioned extensively.

Citation in ''
The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'', known generally as ''The Gazette'', is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, i ...
''

24159222 Sergeant John Stuart PETTINGER, The Parachute Regiment

Sergeant Pettinger is a Patrol Commander D (Patrol) Company 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. On the nights of the 2nd/3rd June Sergeant Pettinger was Commander of one of a number of patrols tasked to gain information about enemy forces holding Mount Longdon on East Falkland Island. Sergeant Pettinger's mission was to recce routes onto Mount Longdon with the aim of placing a rifle company in the best possible position for a night assault later. This meant closing with the enemy who at times were only a few metres away in order to gain his information. This he did with great success on four occasions over the two nights, displaying a high standard of skill and coolness, knowing that capture would lead to the compromise of the battalion plans. The information gained led to him being able to produce accurate descriptions of routes onto the objective, detailed information on enemy strengths and locations, and on the night of 8 June to lead a platoon along the assault route in a rehearsal for the planned attack. Once again he closed with the enemy, gained further information, and cleared more routes, again with great coolness. On the night of 11th/12th June, Sergeant Pettinger acted as guide for B Company for their part in the battalion night attack onto Mount Longdon and was able to place them in such a good starting position that the attack came as a complete surprise to the enemy. Once the battle had commenced he was a constant source of information and advice to the Company Commander, while acting with dash and determination during the many assaults against strong points that night, killing at least three enemy. During the preparation for the attack on Mount Longdon Sergeant Pettinger completed six close target reconnaissances against the objective. He displayed the highest standards of professional skill, alertness, accuracy of reporting, coolness in the face of the enemy as well as courage during the actual assault.Award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to John Stuart Pettinger
''Supplement to the London Gazette'', 5th October 1982, p. 12849

After the Falklands War

On returning from the Falklands Pettinger was invested with his

along with

Brian Faulkner Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick, (18 February 1921 – 3 March 1977), was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, from March 1971 until his resignation in March 1972. He was also the Chief Executive ...

.Ramsey, Gordon
''The Falklands War: Then and Now''
Pen & Sword Books, Ltd, (2009), Google Books, He was promoted to Colour Sergeant, and in 1983 he was posted to the Infantry Training Battle School at

Brecon Brecon (; ; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the county town of Breck ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

as an instructor on the Senior NCO division. Later in 1983 he was back with D (Patrol) Company,

3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment The 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 PARA), is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and is a subordinate unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade. Roled as an Airborne light infantry unit, the battalion is capable ...

as a Platoon Commander, later becoming the

Company Quartermaster Sergeant : Company quartermaster sergeant is a military rank or appointment. Canada A company quartermaster sergeant (CQMS) in the Canadian Forces is the non-commissioned officer in a Company (military unit), company who is in charge of supplies. The CQM ...

(CQMS) for Support Company (Sp Coy). He was promoted to Warrant Officer II (WOII) and

Company Sergeant Major The company sergeant major (CSM) is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries, responsible for administration, standards and discipline. In combat, their prime responsibility is the supply of ...

of B Company in 3 Para and later served as the Senior Permanent Staff Instructor with

10th Battalion, Parachute Regiment The 10th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, originally raised as the 10th (Sussex) Battalion by the British Army during the Second World War. The battalion was raised during the Sec ...

( TA) in North London during 1986 to 1989. In 1989 Pettinger joined

2 Para The Second Battalion, Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), is a formation of the Parachute Regiment, part of the British Army, and subordinate unit within 16th Air Assault Brigade. 2 PARA is an airborne light infantry battalion capable of a wide ran ...

for another tour of Northern Ireland. In 1990 he was appointed the

Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant Regimental quartermaster sergeant (RQMS) is a military rank in some militaries, and an appointment in others. Irish Defence Forces Battalion quartermaster sergeant (BQMS, ''ceathrúsháirsint cathláin'' in Irish) is a rank in the Irish Army a ...

(RQMS) for the Logistic Battalion and was informed that he was to promoted to

Warrant Officer I A warrant officer (WO) in the British Armed Forces is a member of the highest-ranking group of non-commissioned ranks, holding the King's Warrant, which is signed by the Secretary of State for Defence. Warrant officers are not saluted, because t ...

(WO1) as the

Regimental Sergeant Major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by a warrant officer (WO) in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations. It is also an actual rank in the Iri ...

(RSM) of 2 Para. Instead, from 1991 to 1993 Pettinger was an RSM in the Netherlands at the Support Unit for UK troops at

Allied Forces Central Europe Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) is a NATO command with its headquarters at Brunssum, the Netherlands. It was established in 2004, as part of a reorganisation that reduced the number of NATO Military Command Structure headquarters. ...

(AFCENT). In 1990 in London he married Bernadette M. O'Hanlon. Pettinger finished his regular army service in August 1993 and immediately joined the Non Regular Permanent Staff with

(10 Para TA) as a

(CQMS). In 1999 10 Para was disbanded, following which Pettinger was transferred to another Territorial Army Unit of the local Royal Logistics Corps. In January 2002 he was commissioned as a captain, becoming the Permanent Staff Administration Officer (PSAO) with 144 Parachute Medical Squadron in

Hornsey Hornsey () is a district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Haringey. It is an inner-suburban, for the most part residential, area centred north of Charing Cross. It adjoins green spaces Queen's Wood to the west and Alexand ...

where he served for three years before retiring from the Army after having served for 36 years.

Medal auction

On 17 September 2020 Pettinger's DCM medal group sold for a hammer price of £130,000 at an auction held by

Dix Noonan Webb Noonans Mayfair, formerly Dix Noonan Webb, is an auction house based in London. It specialises in coins, medals, jewellery and paper money. Since being established, the firm has sold over 400,000 lots. It holds regular traditional auctions throu ...

.Important Falklands Medals Fetch £130,000 at Dix Noonan Webb
Dix Noonan Webb website, 17 September 2020 Sales fees took the price to £161,200. The group was bought by an anonymous British collector. After the sale Pettinger stated:

I'm pleased to know that my medals and the story of how I won them are now safely in the hands of a collector. The money that they have raised will be put to good use in my retirement.

Pettinger's medals

, E.II.R., 2nd issue (24159222 Sgt J S Pettinger Para) * UNFICYP_Medal_bar

United Nations Medal A United Nations Medal is an international decoration awarded by the United Nations (UN) to the various world countries members for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, a ...

United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

(UNFICYP) ribbon * General_Service_Medal_1962_BAR

General Service Medal, with

clasp (24159222 Pte. J. S. Pettinger Para) * South_Atlantic_Medal_w_rosette_BAR

South Atlantic Medal The South Atlantic Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands War of 1982 between the United Kingdom and Argentina. Over 33,000 medals have been awarded. The South Atlantic Me ...

1982, with

rosette Rosette is the French diminutive of ''rose''. It may refer to: Flower shaped designs * Rosette (award), a mark awarded by an organisation * Rosette (design), a small flower design *hence, various flower-shaped or rotational symmetric forms: ** R ...

(24159222 Sgt J S Pettinger Para) * UK Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon

Golden Jubilee Medal 2002, unnamed as issued *

Volunteer Reserves Service Medal, E.II.R. (Capt J S Pettinger RAMC)

References

External links

John Pettinger
Oral History Project,

Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pettinger, John 1953 births People from Clitheroe Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal British Parachute Regiment soldiers British Army personnel of the Falklands War British Parachute Regiment officers Living people British military personnel of The Troubles (Northern Ireland) British military personnel of the Malayan Emergency Military personnel from Lancashire 21st-century British Army personnel